Unlikely style icon: The Artful Dodger!
“You’ve got to pick a pocket or two.” Such were the immortal words sung by the Artful Dodger (in ‘Oliver’, most famous of all orphan musicals) and suprisingly apt advice in these times of magpie-like fashion arrangements.
Everybody needs a little bit of style inspiration on a dull Wednesday morning and and although celebrities seem to be the choice de jour, I find the best style pick pocketing comes from boys and girls in stories and films. And sometimes, as the rumour goes, inspiration is found in unexpected places. Like little boy street urchins from Dickens novels…
Unlikely style icon, yes, but Oliver’s plucky little sidekick was always the cool one and his style is surprisingly in check with many of S/S’s key trends. Softly masculine tailoring worn with quirky details such as printed neckerchiefs and bow ties create the appropriate boyish charm.
If you dare, team thrifty dresses with whimsical top hats to channel the kind of scruffy cool that Lou Doillon does oh so well…..a fine pocket to pick, indeed.
Author: Katy Smail
a Illustration graduate from Edinburgh College of Art in 2007, and has spent the past year in a world of words, pictures, fashion and stories.
She works as a freelance fashion writer, while her illustrations 'like candyfloss sticking to wind blown lips' are found in publications like 'The Talent' and 'Curvy Annual 08', and are sold in 'Luna and Curious', Brick Lane, London.
